Rotary valve.



No. 795,198. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. J. GRUIKSHANK.

ROTARY VALVE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 31, 1905.

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No. 795,198. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

J. GRUIKSHANK.

ROTARY VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 31, 1905.

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NITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFIcE.

ROTARY VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,198, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed March 31, 1905- Serial No. 253,050.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN CRUIKSHANK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yorktown, in the county of York and State of Virginia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in the valve action of steam-engines, and is intended to relieve the valve-seat of boiler-pressure and to keep the balance without readjustment without regard to what pressure there may be in the boiler; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l isa side elevation of a portion of an engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on about line 2 2 of Fig. 1 drawn through the cylinder and through the valve. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the valve-seat, and Fig. 4: is an elevation of the bottom plate of the valve and steam-chest.

The cylinder A may generally be of the ordinary construction having the usual steampassages connecting its opposite ends with the ports a and (0 opening through the seat B for the valve. This seat B is provided with an opening Z) for the feed of steam to the combined valve and steam-chest and has the ports a a and the intermediate exhaust-port C. These ports a, a, and C may be arranged as usual, and the valve is constructed to expose port a or a and to communicate or connect the other two ports Cand a or a in the different positions of the valve.

The cylinder-port cores maybe the same as in other cylinders except where they come to the valve-seat, where they take the form preferably shown in the drawings.

The valve-seat B is recessed at B to form a seat and bearing for the bottom plate of the valve and steam-chest presently described, and I provide surrounding its seat a balancing-chamber D, which is in communication with the interior of the steam-chest and valve and provides for the action of steam upon the projecting flange or extension, which is utilized in balancing the valve, as presently described. The outer wall of the chamber D is extended outwardly at E in cylindrical form to provide a casing for the inner end or base of the steam-chest and valve and is rabbeted in its outer end at its inner side at E to receive the gland F, secured by the screws f, and operating upon the packing F to form astufling-box surrounding the combined valve and steam-chest, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This casing E also supports the outwardly-projecting bolts G, which carry the bearing-frame H, having the central threaded opening I, in which the pressurescrew J turns; The frame H fits on the bolts G and is held by the nuts K, springs K be- 5 ing arranged between the nuts K and the frame H in order to cushion the latter and through it the valve and steam-chest presently described. It will be noticed that these springs K give tension to the center set or pressure 7 screw J bearing on the valve and steam-chest and cushion for expansion. It also holds the valve-bottom of the steam-chest to its ground surface or seat, so that it is ready for steam at all times. The casing of the balancing chamber should be made fast to the cylinder by means of studs, nuts, or other suitable devices.

The steam-chest and valve L is closed at its outer end by the plate M, which is shown as secured to the body L of the valve by bolts N, one of which is adapted at N for connection with the link N, which connects with the rocker I having a suitable connection with the rod N, by which the valve is rocked 5 back and forth in operation.

The plate M or lid of the steam-chest and valve is provided on its outer side centrally with a steel or other plate \I, socketed at M to receive the inner end of the pressure-screw 9 J, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom plate 0 of the valve is ported centrally at O to register with the feed-port 6 in the seat-plate and is also provided with suitable ports to register with the ports C a or C a in the use of the invention. These ports in the bottom plate of the valve are lettered O and O in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The cylindrical body L of the valve and chest fits within the stuffing-box of the casing and is provided with a suitable port or ports L, through which steam circulates into the balancing-chamber D, and the bottom plate of the valve extends laterally at O into the balancing-chamber to an extent in proportion to the area of the ports or holes in the bottom of the valve sufficient to secure a sufficient balancing by means of the balance-flange O" to hold the steam-chest and. valve down on the ground seat of the seat-plate to a nice working bearing. This may vary in different cases, it being sufficient for the balancefiange to be so proportioned to the cutaway ported area of the valveplate as to secure the extent of balancing desired, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. It will be understood that the valve-seat in the plate B and the surface of the bottom plate of the valve should be fitted to a ground joint in order to secure the desired action in the operation of the engine, the purpose of the balancing-flange being to offset the extra upward or outward pressure exerted on the valve and steam-chest by the production of the openings in the valve-plate for the passage of steam, the outer end of the balancingeasing being closed by the gland and stuffingbox, within which the polished side of the steam-chest will oscillate. it will also be understood that if the balancing-flange be made just of the exact area of the ported openings a perfect balance will be secured at all times. It will also be understood that in securing this balance the flange can be turned down or the holes in the bottom plate cut out to secure a perfect balance or to give any working weight required or desired upon the valve and steam-chest.

For convenience in setting the valve it may be preferred in some. instances to make the top plate or lid M separate and to secure it by bolts, as shown and. before described, and it should be understood that the valve should be set for ports in such manner as to secure the desired operation in the use of the engine. as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that when the valve is once set it will never again be necessary to remove the lid, as by making the suitable marks on the valve and engine-casing it can be determined at a glance whether the valve is properly seated and can be adjusted at any time by such marks without removing the lid.

lt will be understood that the opening establishing communication between the interior of the steam-chest or valve and the balancing-chamber is located directly over the surface of the bottom of the valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination substantially as herein described of the cylinder having the seat-plate provided with a central inlet-port and pro- "reams vided with the feed and exhaust ports, said seat-plate being provided in its face with a recess forming a seat for the valve-plate, the balancing-casing surrounding the seat for the valve-plate and extending outwardly forming a cylindrical casing for the valve and steam chest, the gland fitted to the outer end of the casing, the cylindrical oscillating valve having its body or main portion oscillating within the gland and casing and provided with an opening forming communication between the interior of the valve-chest and the balancingchamber. said valve and steam-chest having an outer plate or lid, and means securing the same detachably in place, and also provided with a bottom, or valve plate oscillating in the recess in the seat-plate and provided with a central inlet-port and with feed and exhaust ports, said bottom plate being extended laterally into the balancing-chamber to form a balancingflange, the bolts extending outwardly from the casing, the bearing-frame fitting the said bolts, the springs and nuts securing the bearing-frame, and the pressurescrew turning in the bearing-frame and pressing the valve and steam-chest to its seat, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination substantially as described of the valve-seat plate, the balancing casing projecting outwardly therefrom and having a balancing-chamber surrounding the seat for the valve, the gland connected with said casing and forming a stuffing-box for the valve-body, the valve closed at its outer end and having its bottom plate extended laterally forming a balancing-flange within the balancing-chamber, communication being estitlJllSllOCl between the bahmcing-ehamberand the interior of thevalve, and means for holding the valve to its seat, the valve and its seatplate being suitably ported, substantially as set forth.

3. A balance-valve having a bottom plate extended laterally to form a balancirig-flange, a cylindrical portion having an opening for the passage of steam to act upon said valve, and an outer plate or lid, combined with a casing for the inner end of the valve having a balancing chamber within which the balancing-flange operates, and means operating upon the valve to hold the same to its seat,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the oscillating valve, its seat-plate and a casing projecting outwardly from the plate surrounding the inner end of the valve, the outer end of the valve being closed, of bolts extending outwardly from the said casing, the bearing-frame fitted on said bolts, and nuts and springs on the bolts and exerting a cushioning tension on the bearing-frame, and the pressure-screw turning in the bearing-frame and exerting pressure against the outer end or lid of the valve, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the seat-plate re cessed in its outer end for the valve and having the balancing-chamber beyond said recess, and the valve or steam-chest closed at its outer end and provided With the bottom plate fitting in the recess of said plate and having a balancing-flange extending in the balancingchamber, and means for holding the valve to its seat, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the casing having a IO balancing-chamber, and the valve closed at its outer end and having a laterally-extending plate forming a balancing-flange operated in said balancing-chamber, means being provided for the admission of steam to the valve and for its circulation thence in the balanc- 5 ing-charnber, substantially as setforth.

JOHN CRUIKSHANK. Witnesses:

PERRY B. TURPIN, AMos W. HART. 

